Hugh Sandeman
Conservative Councillor for Bell Hill ward, Petersfield

Saw a screening of An Inconvenient Truth the global warming warning film by ex-vice President of the US Al Gore tonight.

Hosted by Friends of the Earth the event was part of their Big Ask campaign, David Miliband MP turned up at the end to erm and ahh answer some questions from the audience.

The film was reasonably compelling, but as with the sources in my GCSE History exams I have been told to look at both sides of an argument and their evidence before making a decision. As you would expect from an 'issue' film the message was very strongly what the narrator wanted the viewer to hear. I am not doubting climate change, I am however open to watching 100 minutes of documentary with graphs and charts to explain why the Gore view just may not be the way climate change will go...

Miliband also trumpeted the fact that a copy of the DVD would be sent to each school in the country. It worries me to think that a politically motivated documentary with clear criticism of the Bush White House and previous Republican administrations is deemed acceptable as an educational tool, I don't think it could be seen as a purely unbiased piece of film making, and without wishing to criticise the school environment that the film would be shown in it seems likely that no counter-argument or wider discussion about other points of view are likely to occur.

This isn't a healthy way to inspire the minds of the generation that are going to have to supply the answers to the climate change phenomenon...if Mr Gore is right of course.

Interesting references to Gore's doubtful green lifestyle Here & Here